In the playoffs, the Ravens have opened up the offense for Joe Flacco, and he has been hot. He has a passer rating of 114.7 in the three wins - 27 points higher than in the regular season. Baltimore has tried to get Ray Rice going early, and has a punishing lead blocker in fullback Vonta Leach. The Ravens might be better off against a tough 49ers defense using Rice as a receiver. He is not a very good pass blocker, and getting him out of the backfield would keep linebacker NaVorro Bowman busy. The Ravens' guards do a nice job getting out and blocking on screen passes. Defensively, Baltimore got a lot better when tackle Haloti Ngata and linebackers Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis returned from injuries. It successfully moved around players and disguised coverages for New England's Tom Brady two weeks ago, and would like to think young Colin Kaepernick will have trouble as well. The Ravens have a lot of savvy defenders who think they are up to the task of slowing Kaepernick.

How they win

Since the Ravens shifted assignments on their offensive line and put Bryant McKinnie into the lineup before the playoffs, they have allowed only four sacks on 95 Flacco drop-backs. Flacco will take chances downfield and physical Anquan Boldin has simply beaten defenders to the spot and the ball. Receiver Torrey Smith is inconsistent but has breakaway speed. Rookie running back Bernard Pierce likes to deliver hits, and has been a nice change of pace the past month from the shifty Rice. In the past five games, Rice has averaged 72 yards on 18 carries, and Pierce has gotten more (76 yards) with less (13 carries.) Defensively, Baltimore likes to beat up receivers after the catch and has also been rough on running backs. Safety Bernard Pollard's knockout shot on the Patriots' Stevan Ridley was the turning point of Baltimore's AFC Championship Game win. Role players Ma'ake Kemoeatu (defensive tackle) and Corey Graham (cornerback) have done well lately against the run and pass, respectively.

How they can be beaten

Lewis has been piling up tackles in the playoffs, but many reporters don't mention that they are a ways downfield. He could be exposed, as he was earlier in the season, when the speedy Kaepernick, decides at the last moment to hand the ball to his tailback or run outside. The Ravens have struggled with gap control all season, which doesn't bode well for a date against a faster team that uses the read-option. As a unit, the linebackers might be too slow to bring down the 49ers' runner or to cover tight end Vernon Davis. Offensively, Flacco has gotten some big plays from his receivers (and a bad one from Denver safety Rahim Moore). He fancies himself a gunslinger, but Flacco might have his luck run out Sunday. Smith and third receiver Jacoby Jones have not been good against man coverage, and the 49ers could erase Smith's big-play ability by keeping a safety over the top to help with man coverage underneath.